The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-02-15

ourselves dismounting at the edge of the
flow, which extended above, below and be-
yond us. In the midst of this desolation five
distinct craters were playing their fiery
fountains along the line of great fssure
rent in the mountain, and the roar of escap-
ing gases and shooting fire from the largest
of these was terrible In the extreme, even
from where we stood, full half mile dis
tant. Cones we're being built along the line
of this fssure, the largest of which might be
$50 feet above the general level of the flow.
After discussing for a few moments the
practioability of reaching this issure be-
tween the cones which were playing, Messrs.
Barnes, Macfarlane and myself determined
TO make the attempt, and with the guide,
who at first did not think it could be reached,
set out upon what we all afterwards con-
sidered perilous undertaking. After going
quarter of a mile or nearly halfway across,
MIR. hecfarlane and myself considered we
coulo reach the apex of the ridge below the
most active fountain, thus placing ourselves
between it and the sea, and as near to it as
we could get for the constant showers of red
hot rocks it kept vomiting forth. Before
reaching the base of this ridge the dangers of
the treacherous pahoehoe became too great,
and we abandoned this route, and keeping
as much as possible on the "a, which we
deemed safer, rejoined Mr.. Barnes and the
guide, who by this time had reached the base
"
crater. Coming up with them we ali
assembled and stood for few moments on
the apex directly over the now almost closed
assure. In front of us, towards the sea,
were the three playing fountains of fire.
The nearest and largest, not more than 80
feet from US, was belching forth intermit-
tent charges of red-hot lava rock, while the
roaring noise was frightful to listen to- and
could be heard two miles off. The one
xrnC q n
molten lava many feet i'll diameter, boiling
over its mauka edge in an unbroken wave,
and running stream perhaps fifteen feet
wide down tho side of the cone, until lost in
the cracks and chasms of the cooling lava
below.
Above US, and at distance of over 200
feet, was another fiery fountain in full play
and about 800 feet above that again was a
huge open-mouthed cone emitting volumes
of smoke, but no fire. TO the right and
Kona side of US the black cooling lava eI-
tended much further than what we had
already crossed, and till the sloping ground
hid it from view. Thus we stood mute with
awe, gazing at this tremendous spectacle,
till Mr.. Barnes, on turning round, looked
fifty feet down a yawning abyss almost
within leap of where he stood, the roof of
which appeared to have just fallen in, and
with an exclamation of fear lest slight
shock might bury US all together, we hurried
from the spot. We had not gone far when
large drops of rain began to fall and size
into steam under our feet. AS the rain III
creased our vision became so obscured by the
enveloping steam that we could hardly tell
which way to co. however, in about forty
minutes from the time we left the fissure we
we're off the flow, and as we reached our
trembling horses loud peals of thunder
crashed through the clouds Immediately
below us, and re-echoed their groaning re-
verberations along the mountain side, as if
to impress US with the stupendous power
that produced this black. hideous desolation.